Well-packing



(No Model.)

E. T.. WARNER. Sheets-She 1- WBLL PACKING.

Patented Nov.

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ATTORNEY.

v UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

EGERT T. VARNER, OF ELWOOD, INDIANA.

, WELL-PACKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,591, dated November 12, 1895. Application filed March 18, 1895. Serial No. 542,087. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EGERT T.v WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at E1- wood, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vell-Packings,of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to a well-packing for gas or oil wells, and has for its object to effeet certain improvements in well-packers for gas and oil wells over an invention for the same purpose patented to me December 11, 1894, andnumbered 530,631. Eiiicient means shall be provided for entirely separating the lower iiuid or water which accumulates in oil or gas wells below the upper iiuid or gas.

Vith this end in view the main object of this invention isto construct a combinationpacker, the parts of which may be used either jointly or separately, according to the depth of the well; to provide means for properly separating the gas or oil from the lower iiuid which may have collected below said gas or oil by either conducting the lower luid out of the well separately or entirely cutting off the same from communication with the upper fluid or gas, and to admit of its advantageous use in a gas or oil well of greater capacity than the devices shown in Patent No. 530,631, and that may be placed in a well without serious inconvenience from heavy gas-pressure.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangements of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l` is a central longitudinal sectional view of a wellpacker embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the screwvalve whereby the gas-pressure on the low-er fluid is regulated. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4E

is a perspective view of that portion of my packer consisting of the lower packer-cap c and the upper portion of the coupling-cage N. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same parts shown in Fig. r4, and Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on theline 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a section of ordinary well-tubing, such as is used in tubing an ordinary gas or oil well, and is adapted to pass through an ordinary rubber packer-collar B, such as is usually employed in well-packing, and which is adapted to be expanded outward against the sides of the well to hold the packer in position. The packer-cap C is interiorly threaded at h to receive the threaded portion of the well-tube A and is provided with the beveled i'lange D, said flange being interiorly threaded, as at e. The rubber collar B is shouldered at f to iit within the beveled iange D and is rmly'cemented thereto. The lower packercap C' is reversely disposed to the upper packer-cap C and is likewise provided with the beveled iiange D', interiorly threaded at e', and the lower end of the rubber c'ollar B is shouldered the saine as at f and is laid in cement in the lower packer-cap C.

The lower packer-cap C is unthreaded and receives the tube A loosely, permitting it to work freely therein, but said packer-cap is eX- teriorly threaded at g to removably engage the upper threaded neck M of the longitudinallyslotted coupling-cage N.

It will be understood that the rubber-packer Y B, being free from the sides of the well-tube A, is free to yield to the weight of the welltubing from above, and when such pressure is put upon it the rubber will expand or swell out against the sides of th@ well, and the rubber B, being cemented to the upper packercap C and to the lower packer-cap C', in removing the packer, the weight of the pipe below will stretch the rubber back to its natural shape, permitting its easy removal. The coupling-cage N is provided with a series of longitudinal slots d, having at their upper ends shouldered osets O to receive the wings of the winged coupling P, adapted to slide in said slots. The coupling P is interiorly threaded, as at hf, to engagethe lower threaded end of the tube A, and the Wings of said coupling are adapted to rest on the shoulders of the slot offsets when the packer is being placed in position iu the well, so as to relieve the rubber B from the weight of the line of tubing above the coupling-head. y' v A packing-washer 1o is arranged on the tube A above the couplingP for the purpose of preventing gas or liquid from entering between the tube A and rubber collar B and thus interfering with the easy manipulation thereof,

IOC.

and serves to keep the rubber B from swelling or becoming inflated when placing the packer in a large wellthat is, one having a heavy pressure of gas or other liquid from below.

The object in using the cement in addition to the threads for attaching the rubber packer-collar B to the packer-caps C and C is to prevent the water from working between the packing and the tube A, the threads alone having been found in sutiicient to accomplish that purpose. The disadvantage of having the water accumulate between the packing and the tube is that it prevents the packingcollar from collapsing when it is desired to remove it from the well.

The above-described construction completes the u pper-pressu re packer of the combinationpacker as adapted to be placed in position in a well. Below the slotted cage N is coupled a slotted cage R to admit the upper iluid or gas. Below said slotted cage R is coupled a slotted cap T, by means of a section of tube A, having a left-handed thread The lower end of said section of tube A is interiorly threaded with a left-handed thread at j', and within said lower end of the tube a cup-shaped valve K, having an annular shoulder around its outside circumference threaded likewise, is adapted to be screwed. The lower end of the slotted cap Tis interiorly threaded and is adapted to be screwed onto a closed cylindrical chamber F, having a shoulder ym, the top of which serves as a seat a for the valve K and around which the cap T is screwed. A section of the tube A, having a left-handed thread, is adapted to screw into the lower end of the cylindrical chamber F at". The valve K, when brought down on the seat a, closes the top of the chamber F and has in its center a threaded opening through which the similariy-threadcd end of the small tube S protrudes. The threaded end of said tube S is provided with a number of small openings and is adapted to be screwed up or down, as may be required,to\ give the desired pressure of gas to force the lower fluid up through said tube. The gas entering through the slotted cage R surrounds the tube S and forces its way through the openings 'i in the tube S and by its pressure causes the lower iluid entering below the screw-packer to raise in said tube and be discharged. In Fig. l the valve K is shown open as when the packer is being lowered.

It is frequently very diiiicult, in case of strong pressure, to lower a packer, as the packer closes the opening and the upward pressure of gas or other Huid prevents its descending. By leaving the valve K raised while being lowered it will be seen that the gas can pass up through the chamber F into the slotted cap T and out through the slots d. Fig. 2 shows the valve screwed down upon the seat u, as arranged when in position for operation. Below the cylindrical chamber F and surrounding the lower section of tube A is the rubber packer-collar B, the upper and lower edges of which are beveled at l. The upper beveled end has fitted over it a cap which is unthreaded to iit loosely over the tubing A. The lower beveled end ot' the collar B is coniined by the beveled ilange y of the anchoring-head V. \Vhen the chamber F is screwed down on the lower section of tube A, it will force the loose cap G down upon the rubber collar B' and cause its sides to expand outward and engage the sides of the well.

The anchoring-head V is supported by the lower section of tube A and is provided with a series of longitudinal spring-slots fr, which adj ustably receive the curved anchoringsprings XV, projecting above a-nd below the head and confined therein by means ot' the retaining-rings n, removably engaging the e.\'- teriorly-threaded ends n of s aid head. The anchoring-springs are adjusted to the slots r by means ot the screws @c and are provided with the twisted en gagin g-points Y, which are adapted to bite into the sides of the well and prevent the packing from turning therein when placed in position.

All of the screw-joints of the combinationpacker are tightened before placing the same in position, except the left-threaded joints Z 5. lYhen it is desired to leave thelower or screw packer in the well, it will be seen that in the act of unscrewing rthe upper portion of the tubing above the slotted cap T the latter will be screwed tightly onto the cap G, causilig the rubber l2 to expand against the sides of the well.

The two parts of the packer are preferably used together,as illustrated; but it will be understood that the lower screw-packer may be separately placed in a well by coupling the tubing A in the threaded opening of the slotted cap T and subsequently removing the tubing, as above described.

It will be seen that in the event oi' not using' the pipe S, when the lower packer is used, with or without the upper packer the opening maybe suitably plugged to eut oit or separate the lower fluid or water from the upper gas or oil.

Minor changes in the form and details of construction may be iliade without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

lIav-ing described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a well-paekin g, the combination with the well tubing, o t the upper rubber packer l5, cemented at its upper and lower ends within the flanges D and D of the upper and lower packer caps C and C', and adapted to be expanded against the sides of the well by the weight of the tubing;

slotted coupling cage N, having a winged coupling P, a packing washer ze, between the coupling P, and the lower packer cap C', a slotted inlet cage R; a slotted cap T, having a left-handed thread and containing a like threaded valve K 5 a small tube S; a closed TOO IIO

a longitudinally i chamber F, having a left-handed thread; and a lower screw packer B', supporting the anchoring head V, Asubstantially as shown an d described.

2. In a well packing, the combination with a lower screw packer of the upper pressure packer adapted to fit loosely over a Well tube, and consisting of the rubber B, cemented within threaded, beveled, flanges D and D of the packer caps C and C', at each end, as set forth.

3. The combination in a well packer, having the tubing and packing devices arranged as shown, of the longitudinally slotted coupling cage, having shouldered offsets o, the winged coupling P, a slotted inlet cage R, a

slotted cap T, and a cup shaped valve K, having an annular shoulder around its center circumference to engage with the upper end of the casing forming the chamber F, substantially as set forth.

4. In a combined well packer, the combination with the upper pressure packer, the lower screw packer and a line of well tubing, of a longitudinally slotted coupling cage N, having shouldered offsets o, to receive the wings of a winged coupling P, a slotted inlet cage R, a slotted cap T, and a cup-shaped valve K, having an annular shoulder around its outside circumference as set forth.

5. ln a well packer having an upper pressure packer and a lower screw packer in combination with a line of well tubing; a slotted inlet cage R, coupled above the slotted cap T, by a left-threaded section of tubing A, said slotted cap T, being threaded onto a closed cylindrical chamber F, and adapted to contain a valve K, whereby an upward pressure may be relieved when placing the packing devices within a well, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at Elwood, this th day of February, 1895.

EGERT T. VARNER.

Titnesses B. R. CALL, JOHN GREENLEE. 

